Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Digital Boost 2021 Grant.

The £250,000 Digital Boost Grant 2021 provided needed support for the development of the Digital Boost platform, helping SMEs and charities improve their digital capabilities and build an online presence to stay competitive during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This government has built on the success of this grant and remains committed to supporting SMEs and individuals to access the digital skills they need. For example, the Department of Science Tech and Innovation is supporting tech startups and scaleups through the £12 million Digital Growth Grant (delivered by Barclays Eagle Labs) and we continue to encourage Local Digital Skills Partnerships (LDSPs) in eight regions across England to help increase digital skills capabilities across the country.